Resistance Training equipment and PWR Zones?

Customer Service & Help TrainingPeaks Help
#1

Ok in week two of the 10 Wk Resistance Trng. Plan. I have two questions:

  1. When performing the squat, do you recommend using a weight belt to support the lower back?
  2. When doing the “Muscle Tension Intervals” I’m not anywhere near being able to maintain the recommended watt range for each interval. How discouraged should I be with my paltry watt output or is this one of those Jedi mind tricks where I’m supposed to enjoy the “…journey to greater FTP’ing?” I will say each tension workout has resulted in me setting new pwr zones for myself…I guess I should/could be a little happy w/that…
#2

We dont recommend using a weight belt @kmore19704 – that can act as a crutch. Coach @FRANK has even talked with CSCS experts on this topic and advice against them as well.

As for the MTI’s, you should not focus on wattage. To quote coach @Isaiah from our MTI training tip,

" Don’t worry about power, but don’t push this effort too hard as the idea here is to keep the body aerobic and focused in on the very targeted muscular action especially your glutes. During the effort, stay seated while focusing on pushing with your quads and pulling with your hamstrings, engaging the glutes with a goal of applying torque to 360 degrees of the pedal stroke. You will find that the dramatized effort forces you to focus on all parts of the stroke and will make weaknesses (or dead spots) pretty obvious."

2 Likes
#3

Got it! Thank you Lacey, it makes sense to not use the belt. As for the PM, I’ll stop trying to get immediate satisfaction from my Garmin by keeping that darn arrow between the lines… :roll_eyes: